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84-732: The seat of the Imperial Council from 4 December 1883 was in the Parliament Building on Ringstraße in Vienna . Prior to the completion of this building, the House of Lords met in the Estates House of Lower Austria , and the House of Deputies met in a temporary wooden building designed by Ferdinand Fellner on Währinger Straße. The Imperial Council was dissolved on 12 November 1918, following Austria-Hungary's defeat in

168-525: A gable . The group of figures in the gable are made of Laas marble and depict the allegorical times of the day. The columns and pilasters of the wall are made of marble from Untersberg , the stylobates of dark marble, the decorations of the doors of red Salzburg marble. The wall space between the pillars is made of grey scagliola , with niches in between decorated with statues made of Carrara marble. The statues show historical persons such as Numa Pompilius , Cincinnatus , Quintus Fabius Maximus , Cato

252-531: A metonym for "Parliament". Parliamentary offices spill over into nearby buildings, such as the Palais Epstein . After five years of renovations, the building reopened in 2023. The constitution known as the February Patent , promulgated in 1861, created an Imperial Council as an Austrian legislature, and a new building had to be constructed to house this constitutional organ. The original plan

336-720: A Parliament building. Influenced by the industrialist and politician Nikolaus Dumba , the Commission decided that its style should be classical , the argument being that classical Greek architecture was appropriate for a Parliament because of the connection to the Ancient Greeks and the ideal of democracy . After studying rival proposals, the Imperial Commission chose the plan by Theophil Hansen, who could rely on his drafts for Zappeion Hall in Athens . In 1869

420-645: A bicameral "Imperial Diet". It was nevertheless only a sidestep, as Schwarzenberg three days later forcefully disbanded the Kremsier Parliament and finally had the constitution annulled with the New Year's Eve Patent ( Silvesterpatent ) of 1851. Emperor Franz Joseph went on to rule with absolute power. In place of the Imperial Diet, he installed an "Imperial Council" (German: Reichsrat ), whose members were appointed on his authority. In

504-670: A bicameral Imperial Council: the upper house was the House of Lords ( German : Herrenhaus ), and the lower house was the House of Deputies (German: Abgeordnetenhaus ). The House of Lords was convened for the first time on 29 April 1861. It was similar in form to the present day House of Lords of the United Kingdom. It met in the Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna until the Parliament Building

588-447: A bill in the House of Deputies that intended to abolish the fourth curia, and introduce universal suffrage in the third curia for those men below the five guilder threshold. This was fervently opposed, and was not passed into law. Despite this, the number of deputies was increased to 425 on 14 June 1896 through reforms by minister-president Count Kasimir Felix Badeni . A fifth curia was added, which granted universal suffrage to all men over

672-415: A native German-speaking and a non-German-speaking side. The German side pushed for a stronger central government, but the non-German side (Czechs and Hungarians) pushed for a division of power between the estates. Francis Joseph tried to formulate a compromise in the new constitution, the " October Diploma " (adopted 20 October 1860). The Diploma created a one-hundred-member parliament with extended powers over

756-491: A separate structure to protect them from the elements while they underwent restoration. The Athena Fountain ( Pallas-Athene-Brunnen ) in front of the Parliament was erected between 1893 and 1902 by Carl Kundmann , Josef Tautenhayn and Hugo Haerdtl, based on plans by Baron von Hansen. In the middle is a water basin and a richly decorated base. The four figures lying at the foot of Athena are allegorical representations of

840-409: Is built in a semicircle of 34 m diameter and 22.5 m depth. It originally contained 364 seats. With the introduction of various electoral reforms, the number was increased to 425 seats in 1896 and with the introduction of male universal suffrage in 1907 to 516 seats. The chamber has viewing galleries on two levels. The first gallery has in the middle a box for the head of state. The right side of

924-657: Is presently used by the President of the National Council and the Federal Council for festive functions, as well as for traditional parliamentary receptions. Located at the back of the Hall of Pillars is the reception salon ( Empfangssalon ) of the President of the National Council. The room is fitted with Pompeian wall decorations in stucco and a large glass skylight . Hanging on the wall are portraits of

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1008-792: Is the meeting place of the two houses of the Austrian Parliament . The building is located on the Ringstraße in the first district, Innere Stadt , near Hofburg Palace and the Palace of Justice . It was built to house the two chambers of the Imperial Council ( Reichsrat ), the bicameral legislature of the Cisleithanian (Austrian) part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . Since its construction,

1092-626: The k.k. Ministry of the Interior gave von Hansen the order to design the new Austrian parliament building. Ground was broken in June 1874; on the cornerstone is inscribed the date "2 September 1874". At the same time, work also commenced on the nearby Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum on Maria-Theresien-Platz , the City Hall, and the University . In November 1883

1176-669: The Austrian Constitutional Assembly election in 1919 and the establishment of the First Austrian Republic , the building itself was renamed the Parlament , with the new republican National Council ( Nationalrat ) and Federal Council ( Bundesrat ) replacing the old Imperial House of Deputies ( Abgeordnetenhaus ) and the House of Lords ( Herrenhaus ). The parliament was incapacitated, when on 4 March 1933 Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß took

1260-655: The Austrian Empire promulgated in the form of letters patent on 26 February 1861. In the Austrian Empire, the early 1860s were a period of significant constitutional reforms. The revolutions and wars of the late 1840s-1850s had created a national sense of discontent. The disastrous war in Italy demonstrated openly the weaknesses of the Austrian bureaucracy and army. The burgeoning influence of Prussia and

1344-668: The Reichsratsgebäude uses the neo-Greek style, which was popular during the 19th century Classic revival . Hansen worked at that time in Athens and was recruited by the Greek-Austrian magnate Nikolaus Dumba, who was on the committee for constructing a new parliament building. Hansen was inspired by the design of the Zappeion hall in Athens. The original plans saw separate buildings for the House of Representatives and

1428-455: The Republic of Austria . Upon establishment of the Imperial Council by the February Patent , elections to the House of Deputies were conducted through a system of " curiae ". In this system, there were 343 deputies elected by the diets of the crown lands. The diets themselves were elected by four curiae. The curiae were essentially assemblies of certain social classes. There was one curia for

1512-477: The disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . From 21 October 1918, the remaining German-speaking deputies convened in a "Provisional National Assembly", initially at the Palais Niederösterreich , from 12 November onwards in the Parliament Building. On that day, the presidents of the assembly officially proclaimed the Republic of German-Austria from the ramp in front of the building. Upon

1596-406: The skylighted main ceiling in the middle and the coffered side ceilings . The floor is made of polished marble resting on a concrete hull. The space below was designed as a hypocaust for a floor heating and air circulation system for the hall. Located on the transverse axis at the end of the Hall of Pillars are the chamber of the former House of Representatives (on the left) and the chamber of

1680-602: The 1850s, chronic fiscal malaise became acute. The dire nature of the situation was revealed to the Emperor after the Second Italian War of Independence and the bloody defeat of Austrian forces at the 1859 Battle of Solferino . To calm the domestic front and to gain the support of wealthy Bourgeoisie , Franz Joseph issued the October Diploma in 1860. An "Imperial Diet", still meant as a conciliatory body,

1764-672: The Austrian lands, but also undertook to draw up a constitution that would reflect the Empire's character of a multinational state , especially in view of the Austroslavic movement led by the Czech politician František Palacký . On 4 March 1849, however, minister-president Felix zu Schwarzenberg took the initiative and imposed the March Constitution , which promised the equality of all Austrian people and also provided for

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1848-804: The Elder , Gaius Gracchus , Cicero , Manlius Torquatus , Augustus , Seneca the Younger and Constantine the Great . The friezes above were painted by August Eisenmenger and depict the history of the emergence of civic life. Starting from left to right it shows: The chamber of the House of Representatives was important for the history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many politicians started their career as deputies, such as Karl Renner , later chancellor and president of Austria, and Leopold Kunschak , later conservative leader. Other deputies from outside core Austria played important roles in their native countries after

1932-417: The Emperor could make political and military decisions without the Parliament's consent and could make any decision he wanted whenever the Parliament was not in session, if it might be an 'emergency.' The February Patent explicitly excluded women from political participation, and established a census suffrage for men. The empire's Magyar population refused to cooperate in the new system, resiling from

2016-605: The Empire, officially "The Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council". Transleithania consisted of the Kingdom of Hungary and its subordinate, the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia . Instead of a subordinate regional diet, Hungary was granted its own parliament, and essentially attained the status of "sovereign state". The curia system, however, remained in place. At this point, the Council had extensive legislative powers in all Cisleithanian matters. Appointment and dismissal of

2100-731: The February Patent. The Austrian Germans protested, but the Czechs , Slavs , and Poles were delighted and pressed forward with their autonomous programs. On 17 February 1867, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary was effectively restored, and matters progressed speedily towards the Compromise of 1867 . Of its own accord, the Reichsrath added some laws which amended the February Patent, and decided that these laws,

2184-746: The First World War. In the course of the Revolutions of 1848 , representatives from those crown lands of the Austrian Empire incorporated in the German Confederation met in an "Imperial Diet" at Vienna. The convention was inaugurated by Archduke John on 22 July 1848 and after the Vienna Uprising of October moved to Kroměříž (German: Kremsier ) in Moravia. It not only abolished the last remnants of serfdom in

2268-729: The First and Second World Wars. Important politicians who started their career and had their first democratic experience later played important roles in their native countries after the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These include: In Austria In Czechoslovakia in Poland in Italy in Yugoslavia in Ukraine The Austrian Imperial Council ( Reichsrat ) was the recruiting school for central and southeastern democracy and socialism. Since 1920,

2352-571: The German Confederation was also a cause for concern. Emperor Francis Joseph I (r.1848-1916) saw that, if he was to maintain his empire, he must begin some reforms. In March 1860, the Emperor began a 'strengthening' of the Reichsrat , the imperial council, by adding new members and giving it advisory powers over major financial and legislative issues, including the formation of a new constitution. The parliament split into two parties,

2436-408: The House of Lords, but for practical and financial reasons it was later decided to house both chambers in one building. Von Hansen's concept of the layout reflected the structure of the Imperial Council ( Reichsrat ), as was stipulated by the so-called February Patent of 1861, which laid down the constitutional structure for the empire. The two chambers were connected by the great hypostyle hall, which

2520-563: The Parliament Building has been the seat of these two houses, and their successors—the National Council ( Nationalrat ) and the Federal Council ( Bundesrat )—of the Austrian legislature. The foundation stone was laid in 1874; the building was completed in 1883. The architect responsible for its Greek Revival style was Theophil Hansen . He designed the building holistically, aiming to have each element harmonize with all

2604-540: The Presidents of the National Council since 1945. Further behind the reception salon is the former reception hall for both chambers of the Imperial Council. It is used today for committee meetings and hearings on financial, state budget, and audit court matters by the National Council, thus being presently named the Budgetsaal . The hall is richly decorated with marble, stucco, and a rich coffered ceiling in

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2688-573: The Renaissance style. Inlaid into the ceiling are the coat of arms of the 17 Kronländer , kingdoms and territories represented in the Imperial Council. The chamber of the former House of Deputies ( Abgeordnetenhaus ) is used today by the Federal Assembly ( Bundesversammlung ) whenever it convenes for special occasions such as National Day and the inauguration ceremony of a newly elected Federal President of Austria . The chamber

2772-738: The Vienna Reichsgau . During the Second World War, half of the building suffered heavy damage by Allied bombing and the Vienna Offensive . Parts of the interior, such as the former House of Lords Chamber and the Hall of Columns, were completely destroyed. It was in the old Abgeordnetenhaus Chamber that the new Chancellor Karl Renner on 27 April 1945 declared the rebirth of an independent Austria, backed by Soviet troops. Max Fellerer and Eugen Wörle were commissioned as architects; they chose to redesign and adapt

2856-407: The age of 24. This curia elected 72 deputies, shifting the balance of power away from the nobility. Minister-president Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn introduced the final electoral reform in the history of the House of Deputies in 1906, after mass demonstrations by the rising Social Democratic Party , and despite fierce opposition in the House of Lords. Universal suffrage for men was introduced, and

2940-613: The amount of power that remained in the Emperor's hands. In addition to continuing internal problems, the Austrian Empire was plagued by outside pressures, specifically the evolution of the German Confederation. For centuries, the Habsburgs had been in control of the German states. Even when the German Confederation of States formed in 1815, Austria maintained its influence. With the rise of Prussia in Eastern Europe, that influence

3024-399: The areas of public life on which the famous personalities impacted. The crown lands, important cities, and rivers of the empire are portrayed in 50 smaller reliefs. The roof is for the most part kept in the ancient Greek form, decorated with ancient Greek-style caps and palmettes made of copper sheet metal . It was the emperor's personal wish to use Austrian marble for the construction of

3108-485: The building was Reichsratsgebäude (Imperial Council Building), and the street behind the building, the Reichsratsstraße , still recalls this former name. The word "Parlament", however, has been in colloquial use since its construction. The building saw tumultuous years during the late years of the declining multi-ethnic Austrian monarchy stretching from Dalmatia to Bukovina , as the House of Representatives

3192-546: The building, since Emperor Franz Joseph I had a personal disdain for the parliamentary body. Speeches from the Throne in front of the parliamentarians were held in the Hofburg Palace instead. The architect von Hansen paid particular attention to the design and construction of this hall. The marble floor was polished in a complicated process. The capitals of the pillars were gilded with 23 carat (96%) gold. Running around

3276-403: The building. Nevertheless, the building housed the first form of a parliamentary system for many of the people of Central Europe . Some of the former deputies continued their political careers after the dissolution of the Empire and became important politicians in their home countries. The Reichsratsgebäude continued to function until 1918, when the building was occupied by demonstrators during

3360-534: The buildings on the Ringstraße. For that purpose, marble from the village of Laas in the county of Tyrol was brought in and used generously on the Hofburg Palace and Reichsratsgebäude . The white, sturdy stone was perfect for von Hansen's aims, since the building blocks for the façade and statues could be made to look like those used in ancient Greece. Over the decades, with increased air pollution ,

3444-457: The curia system for six year terms. The curia of the landowners elected 85 deputies, that of the chambers of commerce 21, that of cities 118, and that of the rural communities 128. Overall, only 6% of the population of the Empire could vote in these elections. Tax requirements for entry into the curiae remained the same, but was lowered to five guilders in 1883. On October 10, 1893, minister-president Eduard Taaffe, 11th Viscount Taaffe submitted

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3528-557: The curia system was abolished. The number of deputies was raised to 516, and seats were allotted once again based on the crown lands. Universal suffrage allowed greater representation for members of the working class, and diminished the power of the German-speaking bourgeoisie. Whilst this was an advance for democracy, it resulted in the splintering of the House of Deputies into numerous factions based on nationality and ideology, which made it dysfunctional. Throughout its existence,

3612-415: The decision, considering the tumultuous debates the building had to endure before the two World Wars. Behind the speaker's pult is the government bench ( Regierungsbank ), which is however only fully occupied during important events such as the declaration of the government ( Regierungserklärung ) or the state budget speech ( Budgetrede ). February Patent The February Patent was a constitution of

3696-422: The diets comprised the 343-member lower chamber, with 120 representatives from Hungary, 20 from Venetia, and 203 from the remaining non-Hungarian estates. The Emperor could check the actions of the lower chamber by appointing more of his supporters to the upper chamber. The responsibilities of the new Parliament were divided into a 'greater' and a 'lesser' section. In the 'greater' section were matters that affected

3780-522: The effectiveness of the Imperial Council suffered heavily from conflicts between and within the numerous constituent nationalities of the Empire. Governments of Cisleithania had to rely on loose ad hoc alliances, often with the support of the Polish representatives ( Polenklub ), and there were as many as 29 Minister-Presidents between 1867 and 1918. From the July Crisis in 1914, the Imperial Council

3864-414: The empire as a whole, including Hungary. The 'lesser' section was for matters in the estates. Essentially, it superseded the function of the diets in non-Hungarian lands. The Hungarian Diet could function alongside the 'lesser' Parliament if needed. Under the February Patent, the Parliament had more decision-making power than it had before, but it was still completely subject to the Emperor. On the other hand,

3948-483: The empire's finances but no power over the military or legislation. Also, the Parliament did not have power over Hungary, except in matters that affected the entire empire. The Hungarian Diet controlled Hungarian internal affairs. The new Parliament did not please either side, however. State finances continued to fail; the Germans were not happy with the power given to the diets; and the non-Germans were disappointed by

4032-551: The entrance that leads to the Hall of Pillars ( Säulenhalle ) is a frieze with an allegorical depiction of Austria on her throne. Representing the motto "Goods and Blood for thy country" ( Gut und Blut furs Vaterland ), warriors swear loyalty and women bring offerings. Located behind the entrance atrium is the grand Hall of Pillars ( Säulenhalle ) or peristyle . The hall is about 40 m long and 23 m wide. The 24 Corinthian pillars are made of Adnet marble, and all of them are monoliths weighing around 16 tons each. The pillars carry

4116-611: The former House of Lords (on the right). Von Hansen's idea was to have the Hall of Pillars as the main central part of the building. It was designed to act as a meeting point between the House of Lords and the House of Representatives. Hansen also wanted to have the hall used by the monarch for the State Opening of Parliament and the Speech from the Throne , similar to the British tradition. However, such ceremonies were never held in

4200-510: The former Lords Chamber into the National Council, and in the process, the meeting room of the National Council was rebuilt in a Modern and functional style. Work on the National Council Chamber was completed in 1956. The original appearance of the other publicly accessible premises, such as the Hall of Columns, and the building's external appearance were largely restored to von Hansen's design. Baron von Hansen's design for

4284-414: The former meeting room of the House of Lords has been used as a plenary meeting room by the National Council. The House of Lords ( Herrenhaus ) used to have its chamber where today the National Council convenes. The chamber was designed in the classical style, with a horseshoe-shaped seating arrangement facing the chair. The Chamber of the National Council was destroyed in 1945 during aerial bombardments and

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4368-486: The founders of the First Republic as well as to Dr. Karl Renner are located on either end. The middle axis from east to west is divided into an entrance hall, vestibule , atrium , peristyle , and two large rooms at the far end. For the interior decoration, von Hansen used Greek architectural elements such as Doric , Ionic and Corinthian pillars, and in the two rooms Pompeii-style stucco technique for

4452-416: The four most important rivers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They represent at the front the Danube and Inn , in the back the Elbe and Vltava (German: Moldau) rivers. On the sides, little cupids ride dolphins . The statues of the Danube, Inn, and the cupids were executed by Haerdtl, those of the Elbe and Moldau by Kundmann. The female statues above represent the legislative and executive powers of

4536-453: The gallery is for the diplomatic corps and the left side for the cabinet and family members of the head of state. On both far ends are seats for journalists. The gallery on the second level, which is slightly recessed from the one on the first level, is for the general public. The chamber is architecturally based on an ancient Greek theatron . The wall behind the presidium is designed like an antique skene with marble colonnades that carry

4620-453: The government of the Cisleithania and the Minister-President remained the right of the emperor. The number of deputies each diet sent to the Imperial Council was set by the Compromise. There were 203 deputies in total: The next great change to the Imperial Council came in 1873. The number of deputies was increased from 203 to 353. Deputies would no longer be elected by the diets of the crown lands. Instead, they would be directly elected through

4704-418: The hall suffered direct hits by aerial bombs. At least two pillars and the skylight were completely destroyed. The gilded coffered side ceilings under which the frieze ran on the walls were almost completely destroyed. The few surviving parts of the frieze were removed and stored. Only in the 1990s were the surviving parts restored as much as possible. Because of its representative character, the Hall of Pillars

4788-400: The landowning class, one curia for the chambers of commerce , one curia for the towns and cities, and one curia for rural communities. Each curia would elect a select number of deputies to the diets, which would in turn elect deputies to the Imperial Council. To be part of the curia of the cities and the curia of the rural communities, a man had to pay at least ten guilders in tax. This system

4872-421: The largest structures on the Ringstraße . It contains over one hundred rooms, the most prominent of which are the Chambers of the National Council, the Federal Council, and the former House of Deputies ( Abgeordnetenhaus ). The building also includes committee rooms, libraries , lobbies, dining rooms, bars and gymnasiums . One of the building's most famous features is the Pallas Athena fountain in front of

4956-435: The left these are Apollo , Athena , Zeus , Hera , and Hephaestus , and from the right Hermes , Demeter , Poseidon , Artemis and Ares . Above the niches with the gods is a frieze , more than 100 m long, by the Viennese artist Alois Hans Schram . It runs along the corridor, continuing into the atrium, and contains an allegorical depiction of the blessing of Peace , of the civic Virtues , and of Patriotism . Above

5040-404: The main entrance, built by Carl Kundmann after plans from Hansen from 1898 to 1902; it is one of the city's most notable tourist attractions. The Parliament Building is the site of important state ceremonies, most notably the swearing-in ceremony of the president of Austria . The building is closely associated with the two parliamentary bodies, as is shown by the use of the term Hohes Haus as

5124-463: The marble has proved remarkably resilient, stronger than its famous counterpart from Carrara . Four bronze statues of horse tamers are located at the two lower ends of the ramp ( Auffahrtsrampe ). They are a powerful symbol of the suppression of passion, an important precondition for successful parliamentary cooperation. They were designed and executed by J. Lax in the Kaiserlich Königliche Kunst-Erzgießerei in 1897 and 1900. Further bronzeworks include

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5208-412: The more liberal changes made in the October Diploma which in fact still wanted to restrain the sovereignty of Hungary. Only German or Romanian delegates from Hungarian lands attended the lower house. This resistance severely undermined the purpose of the Imperial Parliament—to unify the diverse parts of the empire through representation in a central body. In September 1865, Emperor Francis Joseph suspended

5292-435: The occasion of a parliamentary law quarrel to cease its function, the first step to the introduction of his Austrofascist dictatorship. By the imposed "May Constitution" of 1934, the Parliament Building became the seat of the Bundestag , the formal legislature of the Federal State of Austria . It finally lost its function with the Austrian Anschluss to Nazi Germany in 1938. The Nazis used it as an administrative seat of

5376-418: The offices of the House of Representatives were completed and put to use. On 4 December 1883, the House of Representatives held its first session under its president, Franz Smolka. On 16 December 1884 the House of Lords under its president, Count Trauttmansdorff, held its first session. Both chambers would continue to meet in the building until the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. The official name of

5460-472: The others, and was also responsible for the interior decoration, such as statues, paintings, furniture, chandeliers , and numerous other elements. Hansen was honored by Emperor Franz Joseph with the title of Freiherr ( Baron ) after its completion. Following heavy damage and destruction in World War II , most of the interior has been restored to its original splendor. The parliament building covers over 13,500 square meters (145,300 sq ft), making it one of

5544-617: The plan was not implemented due to budgetary constraints. Corresponding to the horse tamers at the Ringstraße ramp, eight quadrigas made of bronze decorate both ends of the roof. The quadriga is a symbol of victory, driven by the goddess of victory, Nike . The attic design of both chambers is rich in symbolism, with 76 marble statues and 66 reliefs forming a decorative ensemble. There are 44 allegorical statues that represent human qualities and branches of human activity, while 32 statues represent famous personalities from Classical Antiquity. The reliefs are allegorical as well and correspond to

5628-451: The present building was the temporary House of Representatives, located on Währinger Straße, off the newly laid-out Ringstraße boulevard. It was erected within six weeks in March and April 1861 according to plans designed by Ferdinand Fellner , a famous Austrian theatre architect. In its layout with a ramp and a lobby area, the Abgeordnetenhaus was a model for the later Parliament Building. Completed on 25 April 1861 this temporary structure

5712-427: The roof are quadrigas. The building used to be surrounded by small patches of lawns, which have since been transformed into parking spaces. The building is up to four stories high. The architect's original plan was to have the entire exterior in polychrome , like in ancient Greece. For this purpose, he created a showpiece on the southern side of the building, with gilded capitals and red and gilded friezes . However,

5796-429: The state and were executed by Tautenhayn. They are again dominated by the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena , standing on a pillar. Athena is dressed in armour with a gilded helmet; her left-hand carries a spear, while her right carries Nike . The building is surrounded by greenery. On the north side, the Rathausplatz , a park is located, while on the southern side, there is a small lawn next to the Justizpalast . Monuments to

5880-400: The two quadrigas on top of the roof, each chariot pulled by four horses and steered by the goddess Nike. The bronze works had to undergo extensive conservation and restoration work in the 1990s to combat damage from acid rain and air pollution. Further oxidation corroded the bronze over the decades and ate holes into the sculptures. For that purpose, each sculpture was completely encased in

5964-425: The wall was a frieze which was 126 m long and 2.3 m high. It was designed and painted by Eduard Lebiedzki . The monumental piece of work took decades to prepare and design, and four years, from 1907 until 1911, to paint. The frieze showed allegories depicting the duties of parliament on a golden background. The hall was heavily damaged by aerial bombardments by Allied forces during World War II. On February 7, 1945,

6048-521: The walls. The main entrance at the portico is an exact copy of the gate of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis of Athens , fitted with a bronze portal . From the main entrance at the Ringstraße one passes into the vestibule of the building, which contains Ionic pillars. The walls are decorated with Pavonazzo marble. The niches contain statues of Greek gods. Seen from the entrance starting from

6132-473: Was completed in 1883. The House of Lords was composed of: The last meeting of the House of Lords was held on 30 October 1918. The meeting was adjourned within five minutes. The House of Lords chamber of the Parliament Building was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War . It was rebuilt in a contemporary style, and serves as the chamber of the now democratically elected National Council of

6216-406: Was completely rebuilt in a modern style. The new chamber was finished in 1956 and is a typical example of 1950s architecture. Apart from the coat of arms made of steel, the chamber is without decoration. The carpet is mint-green, considered to be neutral at the time since it was not the colour of any political party. Green was also said to have a soothing effect, something that apparently weighed in

6300-503: Was extremely fractious with tensions among liberals and conservatives, German nationalists and Young Czech deputies, as well as between the government and parliament. It became notorious for filibusters , parliamentary brawls, and undisciplined deputies throwing inkwells at each other as a common feature. The joke on the Viennese streets was that Athena was so disgusted by the political infighting that she deliberately turned her back to

6384-581: Was on the city's ancient fortifications and walls. In his famous decree Es ist Mein Wille of 1857, Emperor Franz Joseph I had laid down plans for the Ringstraße to replace the old city walls. The parliament building was supposed to feature prominently on the boulevard, in close proximity to Hofburg Palace and the Vienna City Hall . An Imperial Commission was appointed to consider a design for

6468-479: Was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria , and soon afterwards mocked Schmerlingtheater , after Minister Anton von Schmerling . It was used by the deputies of Cisleithania until the completion of the present-day parliament building in 1883, while the House of Lords met at the Estates House of Lower Austria , then the seat of the Lower Austrian Landtag . The site for the new building

6552-594: Was proclaimed as a revision of the previous October Diploma, the "Irrevocable Fundamental Law of the State." The February Patent established in the Austrian Empire a bicameral imperial parliament, still called the Reichsrat, with an upper chamber appointed by the emperor and an indirectly elected lower chamber. The members of the upper chamber were appointed for life and included the crown prince, prominent bishops, heads of noble families, and great citizens. Delegates sent from

6636-549: Was rejected by Hungary, as with the October Diploma, and Hungary never sent any delegates to the Council. The February Patent was suspended in 1865. With the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 , Hungary would no longer send deputies to the Imperial Council. Instead, the Empire was reorganised into two equal parts: Cisleithania and Transleithania . Cisleithania consisted of the Austrian part of

6720-647: Was supposed to have 100 delegates elected by provincial diets that were to be established for each Austrian crown land. This electoral system, however, satisfied neither the bourgeois liberals nor the Hungarian nobility, who refused to accept any authority higher than the Hungarian Diet. For this reason, the Diploma was discarded and replaced by the February Patent of 1861, which was drafted by liberal minister-president Anton von Schmerling . This established

6804-486: Was suspended. It remained so for the duration of the First World War, until it was finally reconvened in May 1917. It was permanently dissolved on 12 November 1918, the day after the de facto abdication of Emperor Charles . Austrian Parliament Building The Austrian Parliament Building ( German : Parlamentsgebäude , pronounced [paʁlaˈmɛnt͡sɡəˌbɔɪ̯də] colloquially das Parlament ) in Vienna

6888-478: Was the central structure. The hall was supposed to be the meeting point between the commoners and the lords, reflecting the structure of society at the time. The gable has not changed since the monarchy and is decorated with symbols and allegories of the 17 provinces ( Kronländer ) of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. The ramp is about four meters high. The pillars are in the Corinthian style. On both ends of

6972-440: Was threatened. The Emperor saw the expansion and centralization of Parliament as a way to gain internal strength that would transfer into external power. When Anton Ritter von Schmerling became Secretary of State in late 1860, he took on the task of revising the October Diploma. On 26 February 1861 the February Patent, a letters patent issued by Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, was adopted as the " Imperial Constitution of 1861 ." It

7056-541: Was to construct two separate buildings, one for the House of Lords ( Herrenhaus ) and one for the House of Deputies ( Abgeordnetenhaus ). However, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise ( Ausgleich ) which effectively created the Dual Monarchy in 1867, the Kingdom of Hungary received its own separate legislative body, the re-established Diet , and the original plan for two buildings was dropped. The precursor to

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